Masters of Horror: A Haunting in Sodor
by Ozzie Bastard
Summary: A Bed and Breakfast for engines. A dark entity. A long buried mystery. Prepare for a tale of horror and tragedy... on the beautiful Island of Sodor. This is my debut story, something I based on an old horror story I wrote long ago. Read on if you dare.


Ozzie's Grindhouse© 2008

Ozzie's Grindhouse Presents

Masters of Horror: A Haunting in Sodor (Based on the Short Story "A Haunting in Roxburgh Park" by Ozzie Bastard)

**Chapter One: The Behemoth**

The shed sat dormant for years. There it stood decaying and falling apart after a long time of neglect. No engine ever dared to enter this rotting dwelling, apart from the occasional group of drunken Emos and Goth engines looking for a cheap thrill every Halloween. Only a few of the residents on the Island knew of the horrors that lurked inside that old shed; they feared that if any engine or any person entered it, they would never be the same. Yet that didn't stop potential buyers from inspecting the place! Very few braved the inspection only to be driven away by some unknown force… except for one unlikely pair. On a cold day in the middle of autumn; two young looking engines with a smartly dressed man rolled onto the rickety turntable to inspect their prospective new home. Upon arrival, the two young engines named Emily and Henry immediately saw potential in the place, "I forgot how big this place is!" Emily said with joy; it was a behemoth of a shed after all! It was not something you'd normally see on a railway! The shed was virtually a self-contained city; with a large number of bays to accommodate at least 15 engines (20 if they were small enough), an indoor water tower and mechanics area. The realtor continued to try and over-sell the shed as best as he could, despite the horrible condition it was in. He knew of the sheds dark and horrible past all too well. He tried to sell the place several times before, all without success. He could sense darkness lurking behind and wanted to get out of there as fast as he can. Still, despite his obviously nervous demeanour, the couple was already convinced, "It's perfect, we'll take it." Henry proudly spoke.

The realtor was taken aback, he did not expected to close a sale so quickly, regardless of how much bullshit he had to expel to over-sell the hellhole to the couple. As he took out his papers from his briefcase, he casually asked, "So uh, what are your plans for a P.O.S shed like this?"

"We're thinking of rebuilding this place and opening it up to the other engines." Emily blissfully answered.

"Really?" the realtor wondered.

"Well, we're actually thinking of making this place into a bed and breakfast… for engines." Henry added. The realtor, Gary (who bore a striking resemblance to Ringo Starr, by the way) started showing clear signs of anxiety when he finally decided to come clean.

"Look kids, uh, there's something you should know about this. There… there was an incident some time back." He admitted.

Taking out a handkerchief and wiping his brow, he told his new buyers about the sheds dark history. "See, one of the previous owners had a fatal accident here several years ago; the occupant actually killed someone else before terminating himself. It was an unavoidable tragedy; no one could have seen it coming." This left our young couple in a state of shock; they were silent for almost an eternity.

"Look, you don't have to sign the contract if you want, you can just walk away and not take the place. It's your choice." Henry and Emily could have backed out of the sale, but they loved the place so much, they decided to go through with the sale. Emily still believed the place had potential. "Just a few coats of paint and clear out all the dead pigeons and this place will be heaven." she chuckled. The deal was signed on the spot (by the drivers, of course) and the young engines became the proud owners of a creepy, crumbling shed.

**Chapter Two: We Can Rebuild it, We Have the Technology…**

A few days passed, Henry had begun renovating the home along with a few workmen, hauling in the necessary materials for the renovation. He always told his better half that he wanted to do something like this for a while. Henry started work on the engine wash down tower, removing broken and rusty pipes and replacing them with new ones. All throughout the renovation thought, Henry suspected that he wasn't alone in the shed. The other workmen knew it too. They kept hearing strange creaking, groaning, grinding noises. But Henry just thought to himself, _that's to be expected in a place like this._ But these were far more than the usual "settling noises." They kept hearing sounds of doors creaking open, scraping noises emitting from the walls and what even sounded like whispers and tooting sounds. During one particularly hectic day, Henry thought he heard the sounds of steel grinding upon steel from the far side of the shed. Thinking it was one of the workmen; Henry called out "Hello?" but he got no response. Believing it was their imagination, Henry and the workmen returned to they work only to hear the same heavy grinding and flexing sounds seconds later. The workmen thought that there was something wrong, so they dropped their tools in a hurry and bolted to the exit, believing that the place was going to collapse. Thus Henry was left alone… with his driver and fireman, of course. With every ounce of bravery, Henry chuffed around the shed to investigate the noise, but he saw no one else in the shed.

Henry's uncertainty turned to fear as he began to feel a sinister entity inside the shed. Henry slowly puffed from one track to another. The tracks in the shed were old; the sleepers hadn't been changed for a long time. They achingly flexed under Henry's weight. Looking around the place, Henry's attention was drawn to an engine bay at the back of the shed. As Henry drew closer, he sensed a presence growing in strength. He slowly rolled along the track and immediately was overcome by a cold sensation. The engine bay was entirely bare but it felt crowded. The air was cold and sharp, each breath the driver and fireman took created an ominous fog. On one side of the bay, Henry noticed a strange discolouration on the wall. "What is it?" said the driver.

"I don't know." Henry answered, his curiosity deepened, "But it looks dried blood and engine sludge." His driver stepped out of the cab, examining the gunk on the wall very carefully. He rubbed the wall with his fingers; the strange substance flaked and crumbled as it came off in his hands. He took a small sniff of it. "You were right. It's definitely blood and engine sludge." The driver answered.

"This is most perplexing." Henry added. As the driver dusted his hands clean, a disembodied voice clearly spoke out, "_Get out_." Henry and his crew jumped in fright; they were the only ones in the shed. Henry backed up and looked around frantically for the source of that threat; his driver called out, "Who's there?" He didn't receive an answer. Henry was in a state of disbelief. "No, it can't be." Henry gulped, "That voice… it sounds like… " Before Henry could finish, something invisible punched his driver right in the face, sending him tumbling to the dusty floor. Henry panicked, crying out "I want out! I want out!" Without hesitation, Henry screamed onto the turntable and speed off with fantastic pace. Henry never looked back and neither did his crew. They didn't dare.

Later that night in Tidmouth sheds, Henry told all the other engines about his strange ghostly experience. Naturally, all the engines didn't believe him and laughed it off.

"You just want to get out of working again, don't you?" Gordon chortled.

"Or maybe he's finally cracked it." James laughed.

"Guys, I'm been fucking serious here!" Henry growled in protest. "It actually happened. I saw it with my own eyes!" The sincerity and anger in his voice showed.

"Don't get angry, Henry." said Thomas, "Maybe it was your imagination playing tricks on you or something. There is no such thing as ghosts. I learned that from experience." He smiled at Henry, who clearly was still in no mood to be laughed at, "Well, good night." All the engines closed their eyes and went to sleep. Henry glanced over to his significant other Emily, "You believe me, don't you?"

Emily snorted, "Pa! You're making too big a deal out of this, laddie. Now go to sleep! We'll discuss this in the morning." And with that, the shed fell silent. Henry couldn't sleep; all he could think about was that ghastly voice that came from nowhere. He then remembered a scene from _The Amityville Horror_ that was strikingly similar to what he had experienced. Henry knew that it was only a movie (based on "actual events") but he couldn't help but wonder if this was just the start of something horrible. "It couldn't be." He thought. "It is just not possible."

**Chapter Three: The Haunting Begins (For Whom the Whistle Blows)**

The following day, Henry asked Arthur if he could take over the job of pulling the goods trucks to the old shed. Arthur accepted only if Henry would agree to pull his fish trucks in his place. It was a modest exchange. Several months passed and the renovations had long since been completed. The new "Island of Sodor B&B for Engines" was running rather well, much to the delight of Emily and Henry who put all their heart and soul into their new venture. All the engines complemented the two for doing such a splendid job, especially Gordon who originally debunked the idea. "I must say you did well for yourself," he said, self importantly. "Henry, I tip my dome to you."

"So long as it doesn't fly off in a stiff wind." Henry joked. Despite all appearances, there were still some niggling problems – supernatural problems! Several tenants reported seeing odd sightings, such as dark shadows that appeared from nowhere. Strange shapes drifting through the engine bays. Odd scraping and rattling noises were heard, most of which occurred at night. Many engines believed they heard voices, whispers and menacing laughter; the largest concentration of paranormal activity was in the very same engine bay that sent Henry screaming away.

One such incident left one tenant particularly frightened. Donald was staying in the haunted bay after arriving back from a sabbatical in Scotland. On one warm spring day, he was being oiled and polished while listening to the radio. It was tuned into a classic music radio station. Donald loved listening to the classics; Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Pat Benetar, The Clash, he loved them all! He was cheerfully singing to "Sympathy For The Devil" when the radio went static. This brought Donald down from what was such a rousing rendition of a rock classic, "Kindly give the radio a good fix." He asked. His fireman banged on the radio and it seemed to bring it "back to life." Donald resumed his cheerful singing when the radio lost frequency again, but not for long. All by itself, the dial slowly moved and changed to some hard rock/metal station. Donald and his crew almost had strokes! His driver tried to "fix it" again, but it kept playing. He yanked the plug from the wall but still the music kept going! Needless-to-say, they were not so much as frightened but more like shit scared! Donald's crew rushed out of the bay and immediately called for assistance, yet when help arrived the radio went dead.

The incidents of haunting continued as they grew in ferocity. One other incident involved Molly. She was having a wash-down before embarking on a long day of hauling passengers. As she was being rinsed off, she felt a cold and powerful force creeping up from behind. She didn't know what it was when she saw a shadowy figure trundling along the rails beside her. The black mass appeared to be an engine but it wasn't solid looking. She watched in horror as the black mass paused briefly and stared coldly at her with evil, red eyes. The black mass then silently rolled out the door and vanished into thin air. Molly was so frightened that she screamed at the top of her boiler! Her screams reverberated through the walls and across the island. Molly left the "B&B" that very day, never wanting anything to do with that place.

**Chapter Four: (Crazy Train) The Ice Engine Cometh…**

Henry and Emily tried to assure all those that remained that there was nothing to fear. Emily never really believed in ghosts or anything paranormal, "Superstitious nonsense." She would grumble. Although her bad experience with Thomas at the Smelters Yard did leave an impression on her. As much as she tried to shake off the very notion of ghosts, she couldn't help but wonder herself. She and Henry had put so much heart and soul into their "B&B" that they couldn't just abandon it. The strain of it all was getting to them and thus lead to strain on their relationship. They argued sometimes, often violently. Henry was never prone to violent acts, but something about the shed was trying to bring out the demon in him. He wasn't acting like himself. Rest assured, Henry and Emily soldiered on with their plans and tried to make their "baby" work. They tried to work around the problems with the shed but things were getting worse. The paranormal activity was getting more malevolent, the supposedly bright and cheerful atmosphere of the "B&B" was becoming darker and darker. Residents began complaining of brutal messages of hate and violence appearing on their walls written in blood and engine sludge. The abnormal voices became much angrier, often with complete sentences being heard by the residents. "This place belongs to me!" and "You engines will burn with me!" were some of the more coherent ones. But the straw that broke the camels back was perhaps the most terrifying incident at the shed.

Late one night, Duck was staying in the engine bay watching some late night TV, a _Masters of Horror_ marathon on Showtime. It was approaching the "witching hour" and Duck was nearing dozing off. His long day of hauling trucks took a toll on him. Duck had almost drifted off when suddenly he heard a ghostly phrase "Get out." Duck stirred in fright. "Dammit, must've been the movie or something." Duck told himself wearily. Thinking that it was simply due to sleep deprivation, Duck settled in again and dozed off to sleep. "Get out!" the same sinister voice croaked out, this time with more fury. Duck thought he was going crazy, "I must be going crazy. I'm hearing things." He whispered to his heterosexual life partner Oliver who was parked in the bay next to him. "Oliver. Oliver! Did you here that?" Oliver didn't answer, he was soundly asleep. The engine bays in the shed were separated by large walls to allow privacy for the occupant. Unfortunately, this made talking to other engines a problem. Just then, a cold rush of wind blow through the shed. Duck gulped nervously, he could sense something was wrong. Then things began to take a turn for the bizarre. The walls began to shake, the rails creaked and groaned. A dark entity was drawing nearer and nearer. The world around Duck seemed to be washed out by a sinister black cloud. Then eerie sounds of chuffing and puffing filled the bay. Duck's eyes widened with horror as he saw the dark entity emerging from the darkness, it was a sinister-looking engine, like something that emerged from the depths of hell.

The engine was long and black; it was clearly an Australian built C38 Class engine. The engine's face was pale and white and his eyes were cold and steely. His cold, threatening expression would have sent the Devil himself running in fear. A long gapping scar ran along the entire right side of his boiler. The scar appeared to be feebly stitched together. The engine glared at Duck who was frozen in fear. It quietly stalked up to him. "No one is ever allowed to stay here. This place belongs to me!" the engine growled with rage. The whites of his eyes turned black. Suddenly, Duck could feel himself being lifted off the ground. "Ohhhhh shit on a stick with a brick!" Duck cried and shuddered in terror as the back wall peeled open like an orange! The engine grunted darkly as Duck was thrown out of the gapping hole, crashing hard onto the ground! Duck was badly damaged; bleeding steam and water heavily. He was knocked out cold from the impact. The black engine rolled silently to the opening and looked coldly at the horribly damaged Duck. "STAY OUT!" the engine growled demonically again before the gapping hole closed up by itself.

The other engines were awaked to the sounds of the crash. They were all alarmed at the terrifying sight! Henry was awoken by his driver and fireman who had also heard the crash. They quickly fired him up and rushed as fast as they could to see what had happened. Henry saw that Duck was in a bad way and immediately set out for help. By the next morning, Rocky had lifted Duck onto a flatbed truck and was hauled away to the works. The Fat Controller was at the shed, he was most upset. "I knew it was inevitable." He grumbled, "Engines have been complaining to me of something going on in this shed. And now one of my engines is out for the count. I've never liked these types of sheds, they are nothing but deathtraps." Emily and Henry looked dejected.

"But sir," Henry spoke up, "We've assured everything that there was nothing wrong – structurally wrong – with this place."

"I should hope so." The Fat Controller replied, "All this stuff and nonsense I've heard from the engines about ghosts and demons and strange goings on is most unbecoming of a railway, let alone a Bed and Breakfast place." He paused profoundly, "Until further notice, I am hereby ordering that this place be closed down." Emily and Henry were horrified.

"But sir!" Emily cried.

"No _buts_, Emily!" snapped the Fat Controller. "Shut down this place at once, for the safety of the other tenants." And with that, The Fat Controller strolled over to his car and drove away. Emily started to cry, she was heartbroken. Henry felt the sadness too. All their hard work and dedication to their project had lead to nothing. Their resilience had nearly led to the death of one engine and the loss of respect from their chief in command. Henry glared up at the shed, thinking that the creature that roamed inside it was enjoying this. He could sense it was mocking him. "You'll pay for this, you rat bastard." Henry muttered angrily.

**Chapter Five: I Want the Truth!**

A few days passed, life on Sodor tried to get back to normal. There had been no word on Duck's condition. The engineer's were working hard to repair him, but he was still in a coma. Emily and Henry were still trying to cope with the loss of their business. Fed up with all the recent events that took place, Emily and Henry decided to investigate the shed's past. They wanted to know everything. First, they started by asking their friends if they knew anything about the shed's history. Most either didn't know anything or were unwilling to talk. Emily and Henry eventually worked their way up to Edward. Being one of the oldest and wisest engines on the Island, he knew everything they needed to know. Edward brought them to his shed and showed them stacks of old newspapers. Edward was something of a pack-rat and often collected odds and ends he would find along the railway. Emily, Henry and Edward scouring through the piles of old newspapers looking for answers. Since they had no hands to flip the pages, their crews helped in that respect. They searched for a long time, Edward's collection was massive. Until finally, "Lads, I think I found something!" Emily perked up, believing she had found part of the answer to the mystery. One old newspaper had reported the opening of the new type of shed back in 1998. The article photo showed the Fat Controller cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony. The photo clearly showed that it was the same one that Henry and Emily had bought and converted. The shed itself was an experimental one, devised by the Fat Controller himself as a way of saving space. With the railway expanding and the Island modernizing, he had to borrow other engines from other railways to deal with the increased workload. "There's nothing else here." Emily sighed glumly.

"Better keep looking." Edward groaned, stretching out his aching wheels. "I need a drink and a serious back rub." He muttered to himself. The search for answers continued for sometime, when finally Henry stumbled upon the answer. "I found it! I found it!" he cried out. Emily and Edward looked on in astonishment. Henry's driver showed them the article. It was a front page story, the headline boldly stated _Dead on The Rails._ The main body of the article stated that two engines were involved with horrific incidents some 10 years ago; one had apparently exploded due to some unforeseen instances. It told details that the explosion took place in a mammoth sized shed, "Baby, you found it!" Emily cried out ecstatically.

"Read on, Macduff." Edward urged Henry on. Henry read the article out loud. The engine itself was chosen by the Fat Controller along with several others. It was on loan to deal with the increased workload on the Island. It was borrowed from the New South Wales railway in Australia as part of a team of overseas engines; his name was Matthias. The engines recognized the name, but had no idea that it was him that actually "self-destructed". Henry appeared to be anxious when he read the name out loud, but tried not to show it. Reading on, The Fat Controller had originally told the engines that Matthias was home sick and was sent back to Australia to explain his absence. They were also told by the Fat Controller that the apparent explosion was the water tower exploding due to back pressure and that nothing was wrong. The three engines frowned. They couldn't believe that they had been lied to, especially from someone as grand and proud as The Fat Controller of all people. Henry read on.

In several interviews for the article, residents and engines told that during his time on the Island, Matthias was known as a hard working but constantly stressed engine that never held a grudge. He was, however, the victim of a fatal design flaw. During his construction, his boiler was damaged slightly as it was lowered onto the chassis frame. The engineers could only do a quick repair job. The result was that Matthias couldn't build up enough steam and therefore, unable to pull coaches and trucks efficiently. As time went on, The Fat Controller decided that he should be taken off passenger duties; the passengers complained of late arrivals and slow running times. This made Matthias bitter and resentful. He began to show contempt for the Fat Controller's authority over him and often challenged Sir Topham Hatt on several occasions. This left him something of a pariah amongst the engine community. During one goods run, Matthias had a serious accident that sent him to the works for a lengthy repair. His broken boiler was repaired and returned to work with gusto. Still, the engines rejected him, as he told his driver one day.

Despite the loneliness and rejection, one engine stuck by him as his friend, his name wasn't revealed in the article. "If we only knew the engine's name, he'd be able to help us." Emily grumbled.

"I'm afraid that part of the mystery will stay buried." Edward added.

"Yeah, buried." Henry agreed anxiously, reading on.

After his accident, Matthias soon got a taste for near death experiences, liking the thrill immensely. Thus he "accidentally" began to crash into anything. According to diary entries from his driver, he heard Matthias saying to the extent of, "Each scar", as he told his unnamed friend, "is one step closer to hitting bottom." Other entries in his driver's diary also mentioned that he was obsessed with a female Norwegian engine that lived in a neighbouring shed. She was a Dovregrubben Class 2-8-4 engine by the name of Helvetia. Matthias also started to show disdain for the other engines, one time he challenged Diesel 10 to a duel, only to be separated by The Fat Controller. A few weeks before his death, Matthias tried to "mutilate" himself by crashing unsuccessfully into Gordon's oncoming express. Had it not been for the quick actions of a sharp-eyed signalman, it would have been the most violent accident on Sodor ever.

It was so ordered that Matthias to be sent back home to Australia and so ordered to be scraped, never to work again. But he never intended to go back. The day of his death, against the direct orders of the Fat Controller, Matthias went out to perform his regular railway duties. Somehow, he ran into Helvetia who needed help with a long train. Matthias gladly jumped in to be her back engine. It all started well enough, the two engines working in unison to pull/push the heavy train. Then suddenly, the train went faster and faster. They reached a dangerous part of the railway that traversed along a cliff face. Traveling slow and steady along this route was the only safe bet. On a tight curve, Helvetia jumped the tracks and plunged into the waters below. She was killed on impact as was her crew. Matthias escaped the carnage and supposedly went for help. How the accident happened on that day was still under speculation. Some people believe that Helvetia lost her brakes and couldn't stop under her own power. Others say Matthias deliberately pushed Helvetia off the cliff pass. His driver believed that he overheard Matthias saying to himself, "Beauty is a curse on the world."

This unforeseen accident was never linked to Matthias until much later. Upon arriving home, Matthias stalked to his bay. Not another soul was inside. Matthias then laughed at what he had achieved. He was so proud of himself that he hadn't realized that his driver and fireman didn't put out his fire. The steam pressure built in his systems until, he ultimately exploded. Whether his crew accidentally or deliberately forgot to shut off his systems is still unknown. Matthias' corpse wasn't found until later that night. Later, the Fat Controller fabricated the story of the water tower, shutting down the shed and telling that it was a failed experiment. As Henry finished the article, cold chills ran down the engines boilers. Knowing that they were up against some seriously dark forces made their axles shudder. Emily and Henry decided there was one thing left to do, speak to the Fat Controller and get answers.

Emily and Henry had cornered the Fat Controller at Knapford, they were beyond pissed off! "You knew that there was a murder of an engine on the Island and lied about it to our faces?" Emily groaned.

"It was hardly any of your concern." The Fat Controller protested.

"It is our concern now!" Henry snapped. "We bought that shed in the hopes of making it something beautiful. And now we know that… that place is the home of a demon engine!" The Fat Controller shushed the two engines. He didn't want them to make a scene and frighten the passengers. He motioned Emily and Henry to follow him. He led them to a secluded spot, away from the prying ears of the passengers and, of course, engines. The Fat Controller wiped his brow and leaded against a pole. "Ok, so. What do you want to know?"

"We want to know why you didn't tell us the truth from the start." Emily asked in a demanding tone.

"What was I supposed to tell you?" Sir Topham Hatt answered. "That this railway harboured a steam engine that had sent one of my engines deliberately to the smelter's yard and then himself? The scandal would have ruined me. It would have been a disaster for-"

"It _IS_ a fucking disaster!" Henry cut him off. "We've lost our business because of this! Our livelihood ruined by a ghoulish engine that, by the way, almost killed a good friend of ours!"

"Yes, yes. I know! I'm sorry about this, but I had to cover this up for your own protection." Sir Topham Hatt calmly answered.

"Cover this up? _Cover this up?_" Emily shrieked, jerking forward. "That is the lamest excuse I've ever heard!"

"Now look here!" Sir Topham snapped, "I've had to live with this guilt for a long time and I don't need two of my own engines doubting my authority on how I should run my fucking railway!" The two engines fell silent, as did Sir Topham Hatt. He took a deep breath and continued. "Listen. I've had this railway going for many years now and I've done pretty well for myself. But when I have my engines defying me as their superior and murdering other engines, that leaves an impact on the railway. I am a respectable man and the people here look up to me to get them to their work on time or get them home to their families without delay. But when something like this happens, it puts a black mark on not only me, but on the railway, the other engines and even the Island. I couldn't let this ruin me, so I had to keep it quiet. For you engines, for everybody." Sir Topham Hatt sighed deeply. Emily and Henry looked on in remorse. They felt more horrible then ever. "So, what do we do, now?" Emily asked sheepishly.

"I know exactly what to do." Henry answered dramatically. "Send that demon back to hell where he belongs!"

**Chapter Six: Pleased to Meet You, You Already know My Name…**

After their conversation with the Fat Controller, Henry and Emily went to see Edward if he had any ideas on dealing with the supernatural. Edward didn't himself but he knew someone who would help in that regard and steamed off to the local church. Edward spoke with a thin looking clergyman about Emily and Henry's situation. Edward and the clergyman had been friends for a long time. The thin looking clergyman said he could perform a cleansing on the shed but he told that since they were dealing with a ghostly element, he would have to perform an exorcism. Edward thanked him but as he was about to leave, the clergyman told of the potential danger of the exorcism and that it may not be effective. A few days later, the thin looking clergyman arrived with two of his colleges, who were more than willing to help. They also brought along Lady, a spiritual medium, to help conjure up and rid the shed of the spirit. Emily, Henry and The Fat Controller were also there to witness the event. The clergymen started by reciting the Lord's Prayer while spraying Holy water along the outer parameter of the B&B. They slowly worked their way inside and up to the cursed engine bay. Emily noticed that with each drop of Holy water that hit the walls, they sizzled. As they approached the "cursed engine bay", the voice of the undead Matthias could be heard, "You will never win." He laughed; his demonic laughter rang through the walls. Soon came Lady's turn to help with the exorcism. The clergymen, drivers and firemen all helped to chain her down to the tracks, "Be careful. Once that spirit enters me, he'll want to use me to tear you to pieces." Lady remarked in a serious manner. "Make sure those bolts are good and tight."

"We'll do our very best, my child." The thin clergyman answered with great confidence.

Once they had finished bolting her down, the exorcism began. The clergymen continued to recite the Lord's Prayer. As they did so, a strange rumbling sound was heard. The walls shook hard and the rails creaked and groaned. Emily, Henry and The Fat Controller watched in horror. "I can feel him coming." Lady called out over the noise. She could feel Matthias' dark body getting closer and closer. The rails made a sickening grinding noise, "HE'S HERE!" Lady shouted; Matthias had invader her boiler! Lady cried in pain and began to twist and writhe, the dark energy was tugging against the heavy lengths of chain holding Lady down. Henry and Emily were agape in disbelief. Then as it seemed that the shed was going to cave in, the noise stopped. Everything fell eerily silent. Lady was unconscious. The Fat Controller slowly walked up her but one of the clergyman's helpers stopped him, "No, keep back from her. You have no idea what will happen to you if you go too close to her." The Fat Controller nodded, opting to just call out to her.

"Lady? Lady, are you there?" No response emitted from her. "Lady, can you hear me?" Just then, her eyelids shot open revealing blood red eyes. Everyone recoiled in horror. "Oh my God!" The Fat Controller gasped. Lady's face was twisted into something like a rabid animal. She growled and hissed as she looked around eventually focusing on Sir Topham Hatt. "Lady is not home right now." She answered with a deep voice and crooked smile. She was indeed possessed. Her attention was then drawn to a visibly shaken Henry, "Hello there, Henry." Henry's mouth dropped in surprise.

"Awwwww, what's the matter?" the possessed Lady mocked him; "Surprised to see me, old buddy?" a wicked smile grew on Lady's face.

"Not particularly." Henry answered. "Though I must say, you look like shit." The possessed Lady laughed and tugged harder at the chains. "Oh, come come now, Henry. Is that any way to say hello to an old friend? I'd didn't think so."

Emily was surprised. "Wait, you actually knew this weirdo personally?" she asked.

"Yeah." Henry admitted, "I was his only friend on the Island. He said we were a lot alike. Beaten, broken, and lost. But I found a way to overcome my darkness while he chose an even darker path. He wanted to bring down with him, but I refused." Henry stepped forward. "I never wanted to be part of the life you chose, you demented fuck! Finding salvation in what you did was not the answer!"

"Why not?" Lady/Matthias answered. "I was lost like you, but it was you that chose the wrong path, not me." She smiled again. "I liked it from the start."

"And that's why I started to pull away from you." Henry retorted. "You were slowly killing yourself, whether you knew it or not. You killed a part of your soul, one accident at a time."

"I killed nothing! If anything else, those accidents only affirmed in what I believed." Lady/Matthias rebutted.

"Killed nothing? That is such a load of bullshit! And what about poor Helvetia?" Henry demanded, "Why did she have to die? You told me once that you loved her. Why did you kill her?"

Lady/Matthias growled, "She never loved me! She never returned that love I had for her. She rejected me! Just like every single one of you did. It tore at my boiler that she never returned that love. But if I couldn't have her, then no one else would."

"Well then," Henry remained cool, "You are just as sick as you were then, only now sicker and twisted." Henry stepped back. "Send him to hell!" he looked over to the clergymen. They nodded to him and started the exorcism, reciting prayer after prayer and challenging the demon to yield. The possessed Lady continued to struggle against the chains, the same noises from before returned, this time with the force of a hurricane. Lady/Matthias taunted and spat at the clergymen; "You can't kill me, fuck you all!" she/he threatened with demonic gusto. The air grew colder and the shed shook harder as if it was in the middle of an earthquake! But the three brave priests surged forward in the hopes of ridding the evil from the shed. The incredible noise from inside was attracting unwanted attention, this prompted The Fat Controller to seal the doors. Lady kept spouting dark and hateful comments to Henry and everyone in the room, "Your mother sucks drainage cock in hell." The constant fighting against the chains had twisted and warped Lady's running board and cab. At one point, Lady actually snapped one of the chains! One link was sent flying deep into the arm of one of the helpers. Despite the crippling pain and bleeding, he tried to remain strong no matter the cost.

The exorcism lasted for five hours. Five long, painful hours! By that time, Matthias was growing weaker and weaker. With their energy draining, the clergymen and his helpers made one last attempt of exorcising the demon. "By the power of the Lord," the clergymen yelled at the top of his lungs, "I command you, demon seed, spawn of the devil, be gone from this place!"

Lady grunted out a feeble "Never!"

"The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!" The clergyman yelled once more. "Return to hell from whence you came! Be gone, demon, be gone!" Just then, Lady/Matthias gave out an almighty scream. Glass cracked and shattered all around the shed. The Fat Controller blocked his ears from the absolute volume. Lady then fell silent once more. The terrible noise in the shed stopped. There was a tense feeling amongst all those present. But they could feel lightness in the atmosphere. "Lady, are you ok?" Emily spoke up. Lady slowly opened her eyes; the redness in her whites was gone. She gazed around the room. "Did it work?" Sir Topham Hatt asked cautiously.

Lady smiled, "Yeah, it worked." The exorcism was over. Matthias was no more. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Emily mouthed an excited "Fuck yeah." Sir Topham Hatt gladly congratulated the clergyman and his workers; the injured one was lead to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, Henry and Emily's driver and firemen removed the heavy chains from Lady's battered and bruised boiler. Despite her injuries, her spirit was none the worse for wear. "That was all rather exciting." She giggled until she looked at her twisted and battered running board, "Ohhhhh, that's gonna hurt in the morning."

"You did well, Lady." Sir Topham said to her. "That was a very brave thing you did." Everyone agreed. "Henry, take Lady to the works immediately."

"With pleasure, sir." Henry smiled. As he rolled backwards out of the shed, Henry took one deep breathe. The air smelt sweet and light in his boiler pipes. The sun beamed upon Henry's magnificent green paintwork, it felt warm and soothing. He had witnessed the resolution to a dark chapter in Sodor's history. He was glad to see that it had come to an end. A small crowd of engines had gathered to see what was going on. They all backed away to let Henry by, pulling the injured Lady. Gordon called out, "Let him by, let him by you gawking freaks!" Henry steamed along the line, making doubly sure not to aggravate Lady's injuries. "You ok?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." Lady replied. Henry gave a slight grin as he continued to the works – slowly.

**Chapter Seven: Will it Be Over? (The New Plague of Henry)**

For three days afterwards, there was nothing but peace. The Bed and Breakfast was reopened and it was business as usual. Duck had finally awoken from his coma, boasting right off the bat, "I've always said that Great Western Engines were tougher than everyone gives credit for." It would be some time before he was repaired and fully operational. The natural order of the Island was restored, except for one thing. Henry still seemed to be troubled by the whole event. For days afterwards, he was very reflective of his former friend Matthias and the demonic haunting that took place. Henry couldn't seem to shake it off. Late one night, Henry was pulling _The Flying Kipper_. He still had a lot on his mind, but he knew he had a job to do. At around two o'clock in the morning as the last of the fish was being loaded onto the train, Henry began to nod off. His eyelids soon slid shut. The signalman brought him back to reality, blowing his whistle at incredible volume, "Come on, you fuckwits! Get a fucking move on." Henry was a little alarmed by what he had said. The fireman shoveled more coal into the hellfire of Henry's firebox and closed the door. "Alright you Green Monster, lets get this bitch rolling."

_Humph_, Henry thought, _everyone seems to be a little potty mouthed tonight._ At the signal, Henry slowly pulled out of Tidmouth docks and _The Flying Kipper_ was finally up and running. The night was beautiful, the air was crisp and caressed Henry's face. He was still wondering about Matthias, was he really an evil engine with no morals or indeed a lost engine like he said he was? Henry couldn't answer those questions, no yet anyway. The night began to take a strange turn; the cool, gentle air was somehow getting warmer and warmer. "Can you guys feel the heat?" Henry called out to his driver but he got no response. He could feel the night air getting hotter and hotter. Until, the Island burst into flames. The sky had turned a sickening shade of red. Flames licked and danced around Henry. The sounds of pain and misery filled the air. People screaming, dying, rotting and being tortured were everywhere! Henry passed by a tall burning tree. To his horror, he saw The Fat Controller tied to it. Half mutilated and dying! "What hell is this?" Henry exclaimed as continued by the mayhem. He wanted to stop, but he couldn't. He seemed to be pushed along by some unseen force. Somehow, Henry made it back to Tidmouth sheds. It was severely damaged and burning. Henry could see James and Gordon screaming in agony as they lay beside the tracks torn to shreds. Henry could only weep as he continued forward, the unseen force never letting him pause for a second. Henry was soon "lead" to the smelters yard, the hellfire inside was tremendous. Henry slowly trundled by a long train of flatbed trucks. All of Henry's friends laid upon them in pieces. They were either dead or dying painfully.

Henry suddenly slowed and stopped beside a black engine. It was Matthias! "Welcome, old friend. I've been expecting you." Matthias smiled evilly. In front of him, Thomas and Rosie were chained together; their wheels were ripped to pieces. Henry was agape in terror. "Help us, Henry! Help us!" Thomas and Rosie shouted in desperation. Henry tried to move but he couldn't. He watched helplessly as a giant grabber claw grabbed the two crying engines and lifted them above a giant vat of molten steel. "Why are you doing this to us?" Thomas exclaimed, but Matthias chuckled as the grabber claw released its grip, dropping Thomas and Rosie into the steel. Their screams of agony were met with cruel and dark laughter as they sunk slowly into the steel. It didn't take long for their screams to stop. Matthias then gleefully glanced over to Henry, pin-pricked eyed with horror and shaking violently. "Now it's your turn, buddy." Henry looked back at Matthias then looked in front. There was Emily! Her brilliant 8ft driving wheels were broken and bent. She returned Henry's frightened stares and called out to him with great pain in her voice. "Henry… please… help me." Henry looked back to Matthias, a smug impression plastered across his face. Henry could have helped Emily, but… something horrible grew inside of him. His terrified expression slowly gave way to an evil, diabolical one. Henry returned Matthias' smug expression. He looked up to the control room, "Toss the bitch in the steel." He yelled. The foreman responded with a wave.

Emily's mouth dropped. "What? Henry, don't do this!" she cried as the grabber slowly moved above her. "Please don't do this! This is not you!" The gigantic claws embedded themselves into Emily's metal skin; she cringed painfully as they dug deep. The grabber then lifted her into the air. "You're not like this, Henry! You're nothing like Matthias, you're nothing like him!" Henry didn't listen. He smiled darkly as he watched Emily being positioned over the molten steel vat. "This is not who you are! I love you, Henry! You're not a monster!" The grabber came to a stop, Emily dangled over the pit of bubbling steel. She looked to see Matthias and Henry's eyes grow dark. "No! Please!" The grabber claws opened, Emily screamed as she dropped into the steel.

"Henry? Henry?" a voice was heard amidst the chaos. Henry suddenly woke up in a start; his face was drenched in sweat. He was back at Tidmouth docks, his driver stood in front of him with the dock foreman. "Wake up, sleepyhead. We already late." His driver said to him before walking back to the cab. Henry looked around and sighed heavily, he realized it was only a terrible dream. But it felt so real, so dark, so horrible. The signal was given and the _Flying Kipper _was up and running.

**Chapter Eight: Here Endeth the Story**

Later that night, Henry was given a wash down and parked in his engine bay, next to his beloved Emily. His driver and fireman said their "Goodnights" and whatnot and trundled home exhausted. Henry yawned and settled in for the night. He was soon fast asleep. In his mind, the ordeal was over. Or was it? As Henry slept, he could hear Matthias' voice. "I know who you really are, Henry. You were a broken engine once, beaten down and lost. Just like me." Henry pitched and rolled in the engine bay. He mumbled something to the extent of, "You don't know me." Matthias' voice still rang in his smoke box, "We are very much alike, you and I. We are not that different."

"I'm nothing like you. I'm nothing like you!" Henry mumbled again.

"But you are like me. You craved for acceptance and respect amongst your peers. That was what I wanted." Matthias' voice sounded more demanding, "They turned you away because they saw you as weak and powerless. It only took one crash before they took you and rebuilt you. Only then did they accept you for being a stronger, better engine!"

"That's not true." Henry snarled under his breathe.

"It is true! It is!" Matthias snapped, "When I had my accident, they had no choice but to rebuild me. But did anyone accept me on my return? NO! Those fucks never gave me a second chance. That's why I went down that chosen path. To make them pay for shunning me. To make them suffer just as I did."

"You're… demented." Henry snarled back.

"Who's to say that I'm demented? You had those same thoughts of paying back them as well. All those times you suffered from boiler troubles and no one cared." Matthias paused dramatically, "Remember those dark times? You told me all about it."

Henry did remember those dark times. He knew in his heart that Matthias was right about one thing. He did feel resentment towards the others as he suffered.

"Embrace who you really are, Henry." Matthias' voice trailed off. "Embrace who you are." Henry opened his eyes, his face showed clear determination. The shed doors opened by themselves and Henry glided silently over the turntable. How was he moving without steam? Or drivers for that matter? Henry stopped in front of a large supply shed, the doors opened mysteriously. Henry rolled inside and coupled onto a strange looking truck. It appeared to be an ammunition truck with a howitzer on a turret bolted on top of it. Henry rolled out of the supply shed with the howitzer truck. He silently drove over the turntable and back into the shed. The big gun spun on its turret all by itself, eventually aiming directly at Emily. "Embrace who I am." Henry muttered darkly. "I am a monster." The howitzer fired. KABOOM!

Henry woke up screaming at the top of his boiler. The other engines were startled by the disturbance, as was Emily. She was surprised to see her lover white as a sheet and shrieking like a shot dog. "Honey, what's wrong?" she called out, trying to calm him down. Henry stopped screaming and gazed back at her with wide eyes. Breathing heavily, Henry's lips quivered, his eyes welled up with tears and he started crying. Emily tried to comfort him but she had no arms to hold him. "This nightmare will never end." Henry sobbed uncontrollably.

"It's ok, now, sweetie. The nightmare is over." Emily said, quietly shushing him as a mother would do for a crying child. "It's not!" Henry shouted. "This nightmare is never going to stop!" Emily recoiled in astonishment; the other engines looked on in stunned silence. "He'll never let me rest in peace until he gets what he wants." Henry cried once more. All the other engines never said a word; they looked on with sad and worried faces. "I'm nothing like him. I'm not."

THE END


End file.
